Stuck with you
by thisimplicity
Summary: What if one day Shikamaru realizes he can't release Ino's shadow? Is this normal for the Nara Clan?


_Summary: What if one day Shikamaru realizes he can't release Ino from his jutsu? Is this __Normal for the Nara clan?_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto _

**Stuck on You**

**Chapter I **

"Hey Shikamaru – do you have a minute? I have something I want to discuss with you."

The chuunin turned his head to give his father a glance, "Don't you have a mission to go to?"

"Yeah but I have a minute – its important."

Shikamaru shrugged and dropped himself in to the chair across the table. His eyebrows rose smoothly, watching his father rub a hand down the back of his neck.

The man cleared his throat uncomfortably and folded his fingers across the table, "Look Shikamaru – I'm sure mother has given you the talk about women – "

Shikamaru fought the urge to roll his eyes, groan, and jump out the window. Not this _again! _Was this some way parents could torture their kids and get away with it?

" – it's not like all the other advice mother has given you," His father continued good naturally, "At least I'm not threatening your life with a kitchen knife while giving you the lecture"

Shikamaru grumbled, "Mother would dig my body out of my grave just to send me back to hell again – I don't understand why she'd do something so troublesome over some girl."

His father cleared his throat loudly again as if it was the only thing he could do, "But – it's not like that – you see the Nara clan – "

"is ruled by women?" Shikamaru interrupted, thinking about Ino and her bad hair days.

The man leaned forward, lowering his voice to a bare whisper "No that's not it – I'm sure since you're old enough I can tell you but if – "

"I thought you were on a mission!" A voice popped through the door.

Shikamaru's father jerked up and got to his feet so quickly Shikamaru would've sworn he had sat down on a kunai.

"Well! I was just saying good-bye to Shikamaru! Knowing how dangerous missions are! I was just out the door!"

The woman's eyebrows dipped low and she frowned, "But its only a C mission – you never told me it was dangerous."

"Of course not! Haha! I was just kidding! I just wanted to say good-bye! I'll be going now!" The shinobi stepped out the door, bowing and laughing at the same time.

His wife followed after him, her hands on her hips, "…you never usually say good-bye – what are you not telling me? Get back here!"

Shikamaru sighed deeply and rubbed his arms. At least he had the house to himself. Well… him and…a pen full of troublesome deer.

"Shikamaru! You know that I'm going out today right?"

"Yes mother…" He muttered, only bothering to glance at the doorway where her voice drifted.

"Well don't forget to feed the deer! And I need you to get a couple things from the grocer! The list is on your bed!"

"Yes mother…"

"Shikamaru! Are you listening to me?"

"Yes Mother!"

"That's better!"

"Yes Mother," Shikamaru choked on his own words, oops, one too many.

"_Shikamaru…_I swear… if you grow up like him…" Her voice faded away and Shikamaru listened for her footsteps to disappear completely before getting to his feet.

_CRASH_

As fast as a lazy shinobi could, Shikamaru's hands flew in to his waist pack where he suddenly realized; he left it back in his room.

A voice cut through the air like ice "Ouch"

Shikamaru pulled his hands together. What kind of a robber would knock in to walls anyways?

"Kagemane no jutsu!"

His shadow twirled on the floor and the corner with ease, and then as if snapping in place he felt the other body jump up to mirror him.

And it was nobody he had suspected it to be.

"I-Ino?" He sputtered.

She sheepishly chuckled, her cheeks pink, "Heh heh – Shikamaru, didn't know you'd be here."

Shikamaru could've fallen over if he weren't controlling Ino's movements. He sighed and looked over at the girl as if she were some sort of joke and said blandly, "This is my house."

She frowned slightly as if Shikamaru had just placed a neon sign that read Idiot over her head.

"I'm not stupid – I know that – I was just trying to see if you were awake so we could go training since you don't have a mission you lazy chuunin ass."

Shikamaru gave her an annoyed look, "Why didn't you go through the front door instead of troubling yourself with breaking in to my house?"

"I didn't break in to you house!" She said, if her body wasn't snapped in place, she would've stamped her foot. Oh well.

Shikamaru lifted one arm to rub the back of his neck. Something he had picked up from his dad, "Then why did you crawl through my window?"

Ino scowled as her hands followed his exact movements, "Because your deer were trying to eat my hair!"

Shikamaru burst out laughing.

Ino wasn't happy being bent over as Shikamaru put his hands on his knees.

Typical Shikamaru gesture that he was tired of standing around.

"Yeah sure! Go ahead and laugh at me! This isn't even fair!" She glowered, her head doubled back as Shikamaru was overcome with a fit of undying laughter, "Release me this instant Shikamaru!"

He slowly stopped laughing and Ino found her legs walking backwards a couple steps as the chuunin created distance between the two.

Shikamaru stopped after Ino was two inches away from the opposite wall.

At least this way, he would have a good space to run after Ino had the ability to reach her weapons and happily pelts them in his direction. He really wanted to get through the day without injuries.

Shikamaru pulled his hands together and called out the reverse of the jutsu. He waited a second or two before he lowered his hands down to his side and stole a glance at the blond ninja across the room still perfectly situated against the wall. He was surprised that Ino didn't immediately throw the nearest breakable object at him.

"Well if you're just going to stand there…" He started to turn towards the door.

_**BAM**_

Unintentionally, the chuunin jumped a foot in the air and was shocked when he heard a large crash. Turning around, he saw Ino facing him furiously.

Her forehead was red and there was a small welt on the top of her head. Had she walked in to the wall and knocked her head on the lamp above her? She wasn't that blind was she?

"Shikamaru what's the big deal with you! I told you to release me and that wasn't funny!"

"What?"

Glancing downwards, he was puzzled to see that his shadow and Ino's were still connected.

"Don't act like you didn't plan it idiot! I know you did that on purpose! And it hurt!"

As confused as ever, Shikamaru put up his hand up to his head and watched as her own hand lifted. Then dazedly, he started to gently rub the part of head where he guessed she had hit. She scowled.

"SHIKAMARU RELEASE ME THIS INSTANT!"

"I'm trying I'm trying!" The boy said panicky, and it was true. Realizing that Ino was no longer in mortal pain and the possibility of brain damage, unfortunately Shikamaru dropped his hands together once more. _Release! Release! Release!_

Nothing…the damn shadow wouldn't separate!

_Damnit…Release! Why won't it work! Release! Oh shit…calm down…calm down…you can think of something…oh shit…What if I'm stuck like this?_

"_Shikamaru!_" Ino said dangerously.

"I'm really trying! Just hold on a second!"

_Wait what if I'm too far away, yeah that's right…oh damnit…is that the best plan you can come up with you idiot?_

Unwillingly, Shikamaru closed the distance between Ino and him and pulled his hands together again.

_Release Release!_

This time he did it with his eyes closed, maybe this focusing crap he learned from the Academy worked. It better work.

Ino was watching him. It made him nervous. His palms were clammy and he was sweating, damnit. The hell he couldn't concentrate like this!

"Ino, stop watching me!" He said, opening one eye.

"Tell me what's going on first!"

His jaw twitched and he paled even more. _Good question. _

_What if he did a flying leap at each other maybe he'd knock himself unconscious and that'd separate them. Damnit – that's such a narutoish idea!_

Speaking of which.

"Oy Shikamaru?"

"What is it Naruto?" Shikamaru said annoyed that things could get even more troublesome.

"Isn't that your deer walking around Konoha right now? I thought the Nara clan raised deer?"

_Oh shit._

Shikamaru turned on the girl in front of him, "You didn't happen to leave the pen gate open did you?"

"It's not like I had the time to close it since your deer were stampeding me around your entire yard!"

_Oh shit._

"Naruto!"

"Eh?"

"Do me a favor and shut the gate before any more deer get out!"

"But Shikamaru – the whole pen's empty."

Oh shit…his mother was going to kill him.

Ino looked nervous, "I guess this is my fault."

Shikamaru sighed, "Forget it – but I think we have a problem – I can't seem to release my jutsu."

All purpose of apology, guilt, and nervousness left the features of Ino's face and Shikamaru suddenly wanted to be crushed by the hooves of his own deer instead of standing so close to a hormonal girl on the verge of literally popping a vein from his own jutsu.

"_YOU CAN'T WHAT?_"


End file.
